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What keeps Pluto's ocean from freezing?
CNN ^ | May 20, 2019 | Ashley Strickland

Posted on 05/20/2019 5:57:14 PM PDT by EdnaMode

hen NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto in 2015, researchers hoped that its data would help them unravel some of the dwarf planet's mysteries. Instead, the discoveries made during the close-up look at Pluto and its moon Charon revealed more questions that needed answering.

One of the big revelations from the flyby was the discovery of an ocean beneath the icy shell encapsulating Pluto. The ice shell was thin in a spot near the equator that's about the size of Texas, known as Sputnik Planitia, which helped researchers notice Pluto's odd topography and suggest the ocean's existence.

But this created a conundrum. Given the age of Pluto, estimated to be between 4.4 billion and 4.6 billion years, the ocean should have frozen hundreds of millions of years ago. And rather than forming a bubble, the ice shell should have flattened over the frozen ocean.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Chit/Chat; Science
KEYWORDS: ashleystrickland; astronomy; charon; freezing; newhorizons; ocean; oceans; pluto; science; sputnikplanitia; xplanets
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Global warming!
1 posted on 05/20/2019 5:57:14 PM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: EdnaMode

Gases from Uranus???


2 posted on 05/20/2019 6:01:49 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Ruth Bader Ginsburg doctor is a taxidermist.h)
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To: EdnaMode

Have the Plutonians not implemented their climate change action plan? Didn’t they buy carbon credits with Al Gore?


3 posted on 05/20/2019 6:02:12 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: gov_bean_ counter

LOL. :P


4 posted on 05/20/2019 6:03:10 PM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: Dilbert San Diego

If they haven’t, it won’t be long.


5 posted on 05/20/2019 6:03:40 PM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: EdnaMode

Or a Texas sized UFO!


6 posted on 05/20/2019 6:04:04 PM PDT by rawcatslyentist ("All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing")
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To: EdnaMode

Plutonium.


       

7 posted on 05/20/2019 6:09:41 PM PDT by Songcraft
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To: SunkenCiv

*ping*


8 posted on 05/20/2019 6:09:59 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Who will think of the gerbils ? Just say no to Buttgiggity !)
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To: gov_bean_ counter
Gases from Uranus???

Ding, ding! We have a winner. White wine out my nose. You owe me a keyboard.

9 posted on 05/20/2019 6:13:11 PM PDT by Labyrinthos
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To: EdnaMode
Methane absent of water will be liquid.

Which could be the case.

The ice crust being methane hydrates.

ie, it's a crap shoot.

10 posted on 05/20/2019 6:17:52 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's fore sure)
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To: Songcraft
> Plutonium.

Any idea how big that pellet is? I can't tell from the photo, 10 feet wide or 0.1-inch wide...

11 posted on 05/20/2019 6:27:56 PM PDT by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: Labyrinthos
Sorry.😃
12 posted on 05/20/2019 6:33:16 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Ruth Bader Ginsburg doctor is a taxidermist.h)
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To: EdnaMode

Maybe
It’s
Not
That
Old


13 posted on 05/20/2019 6:34:19 PM PDT by panzerkamphwageneinz
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To: gov_bean_ counter

We need a flame to ignite this situation


14 posted on 05/20/2019 6:36:32 PM PDT by Hypo2
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To: EdnaMode

Fossil fueled vehicles?


15 posted on 05/20/2019 6:37:24 PM PDT by Yaelle
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To: Labyrinthos

“White wine out my nose.”

You obviously have not been on many astronomy threads ....


16 posted on 05/20/2019 6:43:04 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: EdnaMode

It’s the Gamilons.


17 posted on 05/20/2019 6:46:23 PM PDT by Weaponier (FREE TEXAS!)
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To: dayglored; Songcraft
> I can't tell from the photo, 10 feet wide or 0.1-inch wide...

BTW, I do realize it can't be 10 feet wide, as criticality starts when it's maybe half a foot wide.

18 posted on 05/20/2019 6:48:33 PM PDT by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: All

Al Gore’s frequent visits.


19 posted on 05/20/2019 6:52:00 PM PDT by Peter ODonnell (Take the next train to Marxville and I'll meet you at the camp)
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To: dayglored

Not sure.

(I got that picture from here >>===> "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium".)

20 posted on 05/20/2019 6:54:00 PM PDT by Songcraft
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